American automotive giant General Motors (GM) plans to build full size pickups at its plant in Oshawa, Ontario starting in early 2022. It expects a full year production of the Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon as well as the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban in 2021.
The company expects a boost in the US economy with an increase in COVID-19 vaccinations, which will in turn improve consumer sentiment and automotive demand. GM also intends to ramp up SUV and pickup truck production through this year as demand improves.
In the full year 2020, the company’s total sales were 2.5mn units, with total deliveries falling by 12pc and retail deliveries down 6pc on an annual basis. In Q4 2020, GM sold 771,323 units with sales growing by 5pc compared to the same period in 2019. Total deliveries in Q4 2020 however, rose by 12pc from the same quarter previous year.
GM ended the year with inventory levels down by 205,148 units to 410,875 units compared to the whole of 2019. The company attributed its strong performance in Q4, and the entire year, to safe and efficient manufacturing and supply chain teams.